CAMERA’s Israel office yesterday prompted correction of an article in the English edition of Haaretz which incorrectly reported that residents of Dickinson, Tx., applying for relief from Hurricane Irma were required to sign a forming pledging that they don’t boycott Israeli settlements. The Oct. 23 article (in print on page 4 and online here), “Author of controversial Texas anti-BDS bill calls aid incident ‘misunderstanding,'” had incorrectly reported:
The second case took place this weekend in Dickinson, Texas, where local residents had to sign a form stating that they don’t boycott Israel and the settlements, in order to receive aid relief following Hurricane Harvey. (Emphasis added.)
In fact, the form in question mentions nothing about settlements. The brief relevant clause requiring applicants verify they don’t boycott Israel states:
Verification not to Boycott Israel. By executing this Agreement below, the Applicant verifies that the Applicant: (1) does not boycott Israel; and (2) will not boycott Israel during the term of this Agreement.
The Hebrew version of the article by Amir Tibon did not contain the inaccurate assertion that the Dickinson form required confirmation that applicants do not boycott settlements. (For additional examples of “Haaretz, Lost in Translation,” in which misinformation that did not appear in Haaretz‘s Hebrew edition shows up in the English edition, please see here.)
In response to communication from CAMERA staff, editors quickly removed the incorrect claim that the form required residents to state that they don’t boycott settlements. The amended copy now accurately states: “… local residents had to sign a form stating that they don’t boycott Israel.”
In addition, editors also commendably appended a note to the bottom of the article alerting readers to the change.
For additional Haaretz corrections prompted by CAMERA and Presspectiva, CAMERA’s Hebrew division, please see here.